Yep, the top series. These are blacktailed jackrabbits as opposed to whitetailed jacks found further north at the base of the Sierra Mountain Range.

Where they commonly see man, they are skittish and usually long gone before they can be photographed (unless you're prepared and looking for them). The first decent shot I ever got was of a pregnant one that couldn't run. About a year ago, in a remote location, I got about 10 feet away from one and got a few decent shots before it bolted. These were in a very remote location and shot from my jeep. The jeep is totally quiet and I was cruising about 4-5 mph. Not a big deal, but I take 'em when I can get 'em.

Cottontails are easier, but like to hide in the bushes. A person can get pretty close- but so can a hawk, snake, owl or coyote. They're kind of like desert fast food.

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The Desert Cottontail (Sylvilagus auduboni) is the most abundant and well known of the desert mammals. They have a very high reproductive rate (1 to 5 in a litter 26-30 days after mating), a necessity as they are prey for a wide variety of carnivores. They are about 14 inches tall on the average and a large one can weigh up to 4 pounds.
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I imagine that they are related. You know the Latin name of yours?- I wonder if at least the first, sylvilagus, matches somehow? I don't know if the class names/families(?) are identified the same throughout the world?

To me this stuff is interesting to 'intellectualize/BS' on. Like, horses for instance; I hear they evolved on this continent then went extinct, yet developed in northern Asia, were domesticated and then brought by the Spanish and became feral beasts on their original continent.

Wait!- the ear size- that might be an adaptation. Desert rabbits cool themselves through their ears (one of the ways). Also, our brush is spread out, so better hearing may be required. Yours may live in a cooler, more brushy habitat and not require as large of ears for survival.

The European Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) or as its sometimes known Bugus Bunnyus, ok I made that last bit up, was introduced in the UK about 900 years ago from France, and not a lot of people know that.

I like #1, nice and sharp. The others, not so much. Part of the problem is shooting these guys in their natural habitat...they have a camouflage coat, and tend to blend in with the background quite well. It's not so easy to "pop" them from the background or incidental foreground.

The European Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) or as its sometimes known Bugus Bunnyus, ok I made that last bit up, was introduced in the UK about 900 years ago from France, and not a lot of people know that.

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That's cool stuff. I'm not sure what place it'll take in my future, but it's totally fascinating to me. I need to read Watership Down again. -And, that reminds me of a Labrador I had when I lived in the vineyards of the Ontario, California area. ... Really long story short, there was a warren(?) of about 200 jackrabbits that were smarter than the dog and... (shorter story)... But I kept the dog 'cause he would listen intently to everything I said.

I like #1, nice and sharp. The others, not so much. Part of the problem is shooting these guys in their natural habitat...they have a camouflage coat, and tend to blend in with the background quite well. It's not so easy to "pop" them from the background or incidental foreground.

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Usually they startle me as much as I startle them. But they have the upper hand. It took me years to get a near decent photo of one for my project. I'm trying to learn to keep the 70-300 on my backup camera and shoot with a larger aperture and faster shutter speed. Totally opposite what I usually do. I think the shallow DOF helps.